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The patterns of usage in each city often reflect economic stratification. For example iPhones, in red, are predominantly in wealthy sections of the city while Android phones, in green, have more coverage in poorer sections. On a global level, national trends reveal a complicated set of cultural preferences.

I wouldn’t say this is surprising – simply another data point demonstrating what we already know… iPhone owners have more disposable income. It explains how the iOS is more profitable as a platform than Android.

We don’t need the deception of “photorealism” anymore. Despite the loss of these tricks, iOS 7 feels more real. The parallax effect conveys an entire living world under that glass, not just abstract pictures and icons.

On the surface, iOS 7 looks like a refreshed UI, and nothing more. But digging deeper and looking closer, we have entirely new channels of user experience and interaction design opened up to us – not because we can (we always could) – but because it’s the new status quo. The bar has been raised.

We don’t need the deception of “photorealism” anymore. Despite the loss of these tricks, iOS 7 feels more real. The parallax effect conveys an entire living world under that glass, not just abstract pictures and icons.

On the surface, iOS 7 looks like a refreshed UI, and nothing more. But digging deeper and looking closer, we have entirely new channels of user experience and interaction design opened up to us – not because we can (we always could) – but because it’s the new status quo. The bar has been raised.

Apple has set fire to iOS. Everything’s in flux. Those with the least to lose have the most to gain, because this fall, hundreds of millions of people will start demanding apps for a platform with thousands of old, stale players and not many new, nimble alternatives.

There was a similar rush when the iPhone 5 was announced, but that will be nothing by comparison. This isn’t just a slightly taller form factor of the same thing. This is a revolutionary change to the way we see and interact with our applications. If you’re not in, you’re automatically outdated and showing increasing irrelevance with each passing day because others will put in the effort.

This second part in the series, How to Develop an App, in which I walk you through some of the common steps involved with taking an app idea and turning into an actual product.

This article is intended for anyone interested in exploring some high-level concepts that will help you think about how the app should work on a very practical level. Whether you’re a project manager, designer, developer, or the person with an idea, I think you will be able to learn something here.

When discussing User Experience (UX) and Interaction Design (IxD), the cumulative goals of these two areas is making pleasant experiences for the user. That may be an over-simplified definition, but I think it gets to the heart well enough. There may be some debate over exactly what defines UX vs IxD, but for the sake of this article, I’ll be discussing concepts that you can use as you develop your app.

This is first part in the series, How to Develop an App. The series will discuss various aspects of taking an idea for an app and turning it into an actual product. I’ve had the pleasure of working on many great projects with a variety of clients over the years. As each client and project is unique, you tend to learn new things and see your profession in new lights as you gain experience. I hope to share some of those morsels with you.

But it’s not just for programmers and technical people. After all, there are a lot of you out there who have no desire to learn a single line of code, yet might be in charge of your company’s app development project. Or maybe you have an idea and are interested in hiring somebody else to do the technical work. I think even developers will walk away from this series with some new tools under their belts.

The App Idea

For the sake of the discussion, let’s assume you already have a rough idea. It could be for a game, a utility app, entertainment, or anything else.

You may have heard about Smart App Banners, introduced with iOS 6. They are a nifty way you can direct people from your website directly to download your app.

These banners appear when somebody visits a web page with special code using Safari their iOS 6 iPhone or iPad. A small banner appears at the top of the page, listing basic app information, along with a link to view it in the App Store.

If you have a web site and an app in the app store, you have no reason NOT to use this.

This is one of those things that helps grease the path to conversions – anything you can do to make it easier for somebody to buy your app.

What if I told you there was an easy formula for pitching your app to bloggers and reviewers?

And if that formula would give you a running start far beyond most apps?

Why it Matters

You want your app to sell – to get downloads. You might have the best idea, but if people don’t hear about it, the app will flop and soon be forgotten. One of the most effective ways to reach your target audiences is through blog reviews. It is your chance to get wide exposure to a lot of people at once.

Think about it.

You possibly have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of potential customers reading blogs every single day.

Bloggers have direct influence over the buying habits of their readers. They’ve done the hard work of building their audience. They know what readers want.

All you need to do is write an effective pitch that catches their interest and interests them into review your app.